JoanJetsetter.com Wins Best Nontraditional Travel Article

Society of American Travel Writers honors JoanJetsetter.com with a Gold Award for excellence in travel journalism

The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) recognizes the best of the best in travel journalism during its annual Western Chapter Writing Awards—and it just so happens to be that time of year again. That said, I am honored and thrilled to announce that JoanJetsetter.com won a Gold Award in the Nontraditional Article category for our augmented reality-meets-city-tour article, "St. Kitts for Pokémon Trainers."

SATW Western Chapter’s writing awards featured 144 entries from professional travel journalists, websites, blogs and magazines. For the second year, University of Missouri School of Journalism faculty presided as judges, determining awards in nine categories.

"In the midst of summer’s hot gaming fad, [Joan Jetsetter] offered a video tour of the Caribbean island and tips on where to find the mysterious virtual Pokémon," said the judges in a statement. "Great timing, good use of video format and education to boot, as the hunt included commentary on historical and scenic areas on the island."

Earlier in the year, "Pokémon Go Tips on St. Kitts" also earned a Gold Award from the North American Travel Journalist Association (NATJA).

“We’re very pleased that the Pokémon Go story about St. Kitts has won yet another award from a distinguished journalistic organization," said Racquel Brown, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. "As [Joan Jetsetter's] visit to island corresponded with the launch of the game and its rapid viral popularity, she was able to use the opportunity to write about the phenomenon from a unique perspective—playing on our beautiful island while also experiencing our scenic landscape, historic attractions and culture—one which clearly resonated with readers and professional colleagues alike.”

You can watch the corresponding "Pokémon Go Tips on St. Kitts" video below or check out the complete, media-rich article here.

Oh, and one more thing. The judges also handed out a Silver Award for a cover story I penned for TravelAge West about virtual reality and 360-degree video trends in the travel industry. 🙏🙏🙏 This is one of the subjects I'm the most passionate about, and the story was a delight to research and write. A huge thank you to my editors at TravelAge West for giving me the green light to write what is a fairly nontraditional article for their audience. I wholeheartedly appreciate the many learning opportunities and fun assignments they've given me over the years and look forward to many more.